Highs, lows and a small light at the end of the tunnel

​The past few weeks have been somewhat trying in our little household. To surmise, we have been daring treacherous waters with no sign of calm seas ahead of us. Some of this is unrelated to our boy’s diabetes but unfortunately has an impact on his little life one way or another. As much as early December has been trying, this week has presented a small glimmer of hope making us feel a little more at ease with the year coming to a close and finishing on somewhat of a high note.
 
We’ve been paying close attention to constant glucose monitoring units and ones that are more affordable than the likes of the greats like the Dexcom G5. In our last appointment with Harrison’s Endocrinologist he mentioned the release of a much more affordable unit that will be in South Africa in December. The Medtronic Guardian Connect has landed and we are very excited to announce that just yesterday we officially applied for the unit for our little boy. This time next week our 14-month-old could be rocking a CGM device and have two parents whose minds are a lot more at ease!
 
Our search for the unit was brought on by several weeks of unpredictable blood glucose highs and lows – the norm for a type 1 purely because there are more variables than just food to consider when dosing with insulin. Aside from lowering our long acting insulin to curb the mid morning and mid evening lows, we have also, with the help of our friend, Steph Joyner, a dietitian with a keen interest in diabetes, been tackling Harrison’s diet so that we can get his glucose levels under control. 
 
This change in diet, and the whole CGM unit coming into our lives, has us bouncing off the walls with excitement. It's really just been a few days of dietary adjustments and we can already see a massive improvement in Harrison's glucose levels. As we start trying new things and noticing the effects we will happily share our experiences and recipes with you.


On the point of diet, some recommended reading material for any new Type One Warrior, or parent of a Type One Warrior, is Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. Further to this, he has a YouTube Channel packed with immense information about his journey as a Type One himself, as well as his treatments etc. I am fast becoming one of his biggest fans! It's worth reading his book for an added and worthy perspective on the disease noting that he is one of the oldest Type One Diabetics alive without the long-term complications of Diabetes.